CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital – Atlanta Now Offers Cardiac / Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services Close to Home

CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital - Atlanta is now offering crucial cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services to recovering patients close to home through their newly added Cardiac/Pulmonary (CP) Rehab program. The new program recently opened at CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital - Atlanta, 1007 South William Street, Atlanta.

“We started the program in Atlanta because we found there were a lot of patients who lived in Cass County who were having to travel Texarkana or Longview for cardiac and/or pulmonary rehabilitation,” said Kelli Thompson, BSN, RN, SCRN, WCC, Clinical Coordinator of Outpatient Services at CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital - Atlanta. “Therapy is often needed three days a week and having to travel to benefit from cardiac or pulmonary rehab can be difficult for a recovering patient. With our new program, we have been able to make that recovery more convenient.”

According to the press release, so, far the program has been tremendously successfully. In its first few months, the program has grown enough that the facility that houses it has been expanded and the team is purchasing additional new equipment to serve their patients.

“There is simply a need here in the Atlanta area,” said Thompson. “Just as in large cities, we have residents in Cass County who have undergone bypass surgery, other types of heart surgery, other procedures or experienced a heart or pulmonary event and will benefit from cardiac-pulmonary rehab. Now, people have heard about the program and are taking advantage of it.”

Atlanta resident Mike Shelton started CP rehab in early November 2017 following bypass surgery and recently became the program’s first graduate. He says that despite his initial misgivings, he is incredibly thankful for what the program has done for him.

CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital - Atlanta

“When I first started, I thought I might be wasting my time,” said Shelton. “But, the more I stuck with it, the more I realized that I was able to do more things, more easily.”

“It’s nice to see these people have a chance to get back to their lives,” said Thompson. “Cardiac/pulmonary rehab definitely accelerates recovery for patients and helps decrease the likelihood of complications, helping these patients return to activities they love like gardening, fishing, etc.”

“If people ask me about the cardiac rehab program in Atlanta, I tell them it’s definitely worth their while,” said Shelton. “It gets you to do things that you probably wouldn’t do on your own. They have equipment you don’t have at home and nurses and staff who are capable and know how to handle any issues you may have. Being there with other people who are doing that stuff with you, the program draws you in and motivates you. It gave me the boost to keep going.”